Egyptian Nuclear Leadership—Time to Realign?

{
  "authors": [
    "Kimberly Misher"
  ],
  "type": "other",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "NPP",
  "programs": [
    "Nuclear Policy"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "North Africa",
    "Egypt"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Nuclear Policy",
    "Nuclear Energy"
  ]
}

Other

Egyptian Nuclear Leadership—Time to Realign?

Egypt's role in preventing a nuclear arms race in the Middle East is especially urgent and the 2010 NPT Review Conference is the next best chance to advance its disarmament agenda.

By Kimberly Misher

Published on Nov 19, 2009

Recognizing Egypt’s critical role in the Arab world, President Obama selected Cairo for a landmark speech in June. To continue to lead the Middle East and enhance regional security, Egypt should work to strengthen the nonproliferation regime. The 2010 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference is Egypt's next best chance to advance its disarmament goals, contends a new paper by Kimberly Misher.

Key Conclusions

If Egypt is concerned about the possibility of one of its neighbors developing nuclear weapons, strengthening the treaty is in its best interest.
Egypt has an opportunity to further its disarmament objectives during the Review Conference as it will chair both the New Agenda Coalition and the Non-Aligned Movement.
In order for Egypt to achieve progress in a changing international climate, it should agree to incremental progress rather than demanding all-or-nothing decisions.
Egypt's regional influence could diminish if the country’s negotiating strategy is seen as preventing progress on regional disarmament and the promotion of peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
The United States should consider Egypt's proposed steps for implementing the Resolution on the Middle East.

"Egypt's role in preventing a nuclear arms race in the Middle East is especially urgent. As Iran advances its nuclear capability, Egypt increasingly faces the prospect of being politically sandwiched between two nuclear-armed states," says Misher. "By pressing for security and disarmament within the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Egypt may be able to solidify Arab perspectives on arms control and strengthen its regional leadership."

About the Author

Kimberly Misher

Former Program Manager, Nuclear Policy Program

Nuclear Policy Nuclear Energy North Africa Egypt

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Paper
Egypt’s Military Landlord Economy and its Limitations
The armed forces champion a form of capitalism that is generating revenue, but its reliance on rent faces diminishing returns, leaving the country with massive sunk costs and deferred returns, deepening dependency on external borrowing.
Yezid Sayigh
Paper
Demystifying the Nuclear Threshold
The nuclear weapons threshold is increasingly important for proliferation strategy and policy. Policymakers should better understand the implications of the threshold phenomenon in the current international security environment and plausible strategies to deal with the growing challenge that it presents.
Ariel (Eli) Levite, Toby Dalton
Paper
Nuclear Weapons and the Future of American Power
It seems likely that, no matter what, the power of the U.S. nuclear arsenal will face erosion, not least in the credibility of its commitments to defend allies and the political durability of those alliances.
James M. Acton, Ankit Panda
Article
In the Middle East and North Africa, America and China Converge More Than They Diverge
Middle powers in the region will keep hedging between Washington and Beijing. It’s in the great powers’ interests to play along.
Amr Hamzawy, Kathryn Selfe
Commentary
Diwan
The West’s Climate Colonialism in the Greater Middle East
There is a disturbing structural parallel between the old global energy economy and the new green transition.
Angie Omar

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Paper

Egypt’s Military Landlord Economy and its Limitations

The armed forces champion a form of capitalism that is generating revenue, but its reliance on rent faces diminishing returns, leaving the country with massive sunk costs and deferred returns, deepening dependency on external borrowing.

Yezid Sayigh

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (C) visits the Natanz uranium enrichment facilities April 8, 2008

Paper

Demystifying the Nuclear Threshold

The nuclear weapons threshold is increasingly important for proliferation strategy and policy. Policymakers should better understand the implications of the threshold phenomenon in the current international security environment and plausible strategies to deal with the growing challenge that it presents.

Ariel (Eli) Levite, Toby Dalton

1990s USS Pennsylvania United States Navy Nuclear Powered Ohio-Class Ballistic Missile Submarine Cruising On Ocean Surface

Paper

Nuclear Weapons and the Future of American Power

It seems likely that, no matter what, the power of the U.S. nuclear arsenal will face erosion, not least in the credibility of its commitments to defend allies and the political durability of those alliances.

James M. Acton, Ankit Panda

Photo of commercial ship anchored near the Strait of Hormuz.

Article

In the Middle East and North Africa, America and China Converge More Than They Diverge

Middle powers in the region will keep hedging between Washington and Beijing. It’s in the great powers’ interests to play along.

Amr Hamzawy, Kathryn Selfe

Commentary

Diwan

The West’s Climate Colonialism in the Greater Middle East

There is a disturbing structural parallel between the old global energy economy and the new green transition.

Angie Omar